15 May Lessons from a tight rope walker
Have you ever seen a tightrope walker? You know, those ones carrying a long stick for balance as they traverse some terrifying abyss with just a narrow rope support beneath them and a great fall?
I’m pretty sure you have. And I’m pretty sure you would, then, have seen that as they walk, and as they try to maintain their balance, that long balance pole tipping up and down, left and right, wavering and adjusting to try to maintain that magic balance.
From what I’ve seen, however, the pole is NEVER perfectly still or even, the balance is NEVER perfectly perfect!
Which is, I believe, an apt metaphor for life!
In life, most of us are constantly trying to manage stress and anxiety, excitement and pleasure. We have good days and bad, wins and losses. If there’s ever a moment of peace and tranquility, of equanimity, it is, in my experience, usually pretty short lived.
But again, that’s life. Just like the balancing pole, ups and downs are temporary and impermanent. The need to adjust is constant. Wanting otherwise is a recipe, via unrealistic expectations, for disappointment and frustration.
The lesson, then, is acceptance. Acceptance that perfect balance is not possible, at least not often and not for long, and acceptance that the ups and downs, tips and trips are all normal and appropriate parts or phases of life!
Strive for balance, for sure, but don’t expect too much too often and you may well find and enjoy a different type of balance that may well bring a different type of happiness and satisfaction.